Manchester City aren’t in good form of late with three defeats from their last eight Premier League games, not to mention the defence letting in one or more goals in three of their previous four, so Pep Guardiola might make changes to his backline ahead of Sunday’s clash with Aston Villa.
City host the Villans at the Etihad Stadium and might look for a more tried-and-tested lineup to get back on track. Rico Lewis was culpable for Tottenham Hotspur’s winning goal in last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat in North London, so Guardiola might take him out of the spotlight.
Rather than play Lewis in a makeshift left-back role like he did against Spurs, it might be a smarter move to rest the 18-year-old and have a more natural option in his place.
Lewis has made 15 appearances in all competitions this season, starting in five of City’s last seven league outings, but he does have a lot of responsibility on his young shoulders.
The England U19 international has made more appearances at senior level than he has for the U21s, so his rise to prominence has been fast. Pep obviously trusts Lewis, but he should be mindful not to push him too hard too soon.
In other news, Erling Haaland won’t leave Man City, representatives say ‘lawyer’ rumour was ‘untrue’
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